7th Grade Reading and Writing TEKS
4th Nine Weeks
Focus: Reading
Unit of Study: How Does the Individual Impact the Community?
Figure 19: Reading/Comprehension Skills. Students use a flexible range of metacognitive
reading skills in both assigned and independent reading to understand an author’s message.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex
texts as they become self-directed, critical readers. The student is expected to:
(A) establish purposes for reading selected texts based upon own or others’ desired
outcome to enhance comprehension;
(B) ask literal, interpretive, evaluative, and universal questions of text;
(C) reflect on understanding to monitor comprehension (e.g., summarizing and
synthesizing; making textual, personal, and world connections; creating sensory images);
(D) make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding;
(E) summarize, paraphrase, and synthesize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical
order within a text and across texts; and
(F) make connections between and across texts, including other media (e.g., film, play),
and provide textual evidence.
7.1) Reading/Fluency. Students read grade-level text with fluency and comprehension. Students
are expected to adjust fluency when reading aloud grade-level text based on the reading purpose
and the nature of the text.
7.2) Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when
reading and writing. Students are expected to:
(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin,
Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;
(B) use context (within a sentence and in larger sections of text) to determine or clarify the
meaning of unfamiliar or ambiguous words;
(D) identify the meaning of foreign words commonly used in written English with
emphasis on Latin and Greek words (e.g., habeus corpus, e pluribus unum, bona fide,
nemesis); and
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District
7.3) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Theme and Genre. Students analyze, make
inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and
contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students
are expected to:
(A) describe multiple themes in a work of fiction;
(B) describe conventions in myths and epic tales (e.g., extended simile, the quest, the hero's
tasks, circle stories); and
(C) analyze how place and time influence the theme or message of a literary work.
7.4) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Poetry. Students understand, make inferences
and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze the importance of graphical elements
(e.g., capital letters, line length, word position) on the meaning of a poem.
7.6) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences
and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) explain the influence of the setting on plot development;
(B) analyze the development of the plot through the internal and external responses of the
characters, including their motivations and conflicts; and
(C) analyze different forms of point of view, including first-person, third-person
omniscient, and third-person limited.
7.8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Sensory Language. Students understand, make
inferences and draw conclusions about how an author's sensory language creates imagery in
literary text and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected
to determine the figurative meaning of phrases and analyze how an author's use of language
creates imagery, appeals to the senses, and suggests mood.
7.9) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze,
make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and
contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students
are expected to explain the difference between the theme of a literary work and the author's
purpose in an expository text.
7.10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze,
make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) evaluate a summary of the original text for accuracy of the main ideas, supporting
details, and overall meaning;
(B) distinguish factual claims from commonplace assertions and opinions;
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District
7.10) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze,
make inferences and draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(C) use different organizational patterns as guides for summarizing and forming an
overview of different kinds of expository text; and
(D) synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or
three texts representing similar or different genres, and support those findings with textual
evidence.
7.11) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze, make
inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from text to support
their analysis. Students are expected to:
(A) analyze the structure of the central argument in contemporary policy speeches (e.g.,
argument by cause and effect, analogy, authority) and identify the different types of
evidence used to support the argument; and
(B) identify such rhetorical fallacies as ad hominem, exaggeration, stereotyping, or
categorical claims in persuasive texts.
7.13) Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words,
images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will
continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts. Students
are expected to:
(A) interpret both explicit and implicit messages in various forms of media;
(B) interpret how visual and sound techniques (e.g., special effects, camera angles, lighting,
music) influence the message;
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District
7th Grade Reading and Writing TEKS
4th Nine Weeks
Focus: Writing
Unit of Study: How Does the Individual Impact the Community?
7.14) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting,
revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. Students are expected to:
(A) plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for conveying the intended meaning
to an audience, determining appropriate topics through a range of strategies (e.g.,
discussion, background reading, personal interests, interviews), and developing a thesis or
controlling idea;
(B) develop drafts by choosing an appropriate organizational strategy (e.g., sequence of
events, cause-effect, compare-contrast) and building on ideas to create a focused,
organized, and coherent piece of writing;
(C) revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images; consistent point of view;
use of simple, compound, and complex sentences; internal and external coherence; and the
use of effective transitions after rethinking how well questions of purpose, audience, and
genre have been addressed;
(D) edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling; and
(E) revise final draft in response to feedback from peers and teacher and publish written
work for
appropriate audiences.
7.15) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings
about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:
(A) write an imaginative story that:
(i) sustains reader interest;
(ii) includes well-paced action and an engaging story line;
(iii) creates a specific, believable setting through the use of sensory details;
(iv) develops interesting characters; and
(v) uses a range of literary strategies and devices to enhance the style and tone; and
7.16) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a
personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and communicates the importance of or reasons
for actions and/or consequences.
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District
7.17) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or
work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific
purposes. Students are expected to:
(A) write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that:
(i) presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs;
(ii) contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea;
(iii) is logically organized with appropriate facts and details and includes no
extraneous information or inconsistencies;
(iv) accurately synthesizes ideas from several sources; and
(v) uses a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link
paragraphs;
(C) write responses to literary or expository texts that demonstrate the writing skills for
multi-paragraph essays and provide sustained evidence from the text using quotations when
appropriate; and
(D) produce a multimedia presentation involving text and graphics using available
technology.
7.18) Writing/Persuasive Texts. Students write persuasive texts to influence the attitudes or
actions of a specific audience on specific issues. Students are expected to write a persuasive essay
to the appropriate audience that:
(A) establishes a clear thesis or position;
(B) considers and responds to the views of others and anticipates and answers reader
concerns and counter-arguments; and
(C) includes evidence that is logically organized to support the author's viewpoint and that
differentiates between fact and opinion.
7.19) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and use
the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students will continue to apply
earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:
(A) identify, use, and understand the function of the following parts of speech in the
context of reading, writing, and speaking:
(i) verbs (perfect and progressive tenses) and participles;
(v) prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb
agreement;
(B) write complex sentences and differentiate between main versus subordinate clauses;
and
(C) use a variety of complete sentences (e.g., simple, compound, complex) that include
properly placed modifiers, correctly identified antecedents, parallel structures, and
consistent tenses.
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District
7.20) Oral and Written Conventions/Handwriting, Capitalization, and Punctuation. Students
write legibly and use appropriate capitalization and punctuation conventions in their compositions.
Students are expected to:
(A) use conventions of capitalization; and
(B) recognize and use punctuation marks including:
(i) commas after introductory words, phrases, and clauses; and
7.21) Oral and Written Conventions/Spelling. Students spell correctly. Students are expected to
spell correctly, including using various resources to determine and check correct spellings.
7.22) Research/Research Plan. Students ask open-ended research questions and develop a plan
for answering them. Students are expected to:
(A) brainstorm, consult with others, decide upon a topic, and formulate a major research
question to address the major research topic; and
(B) apply steps for obtaining and evaluating information from a wide variety of sources and
create a written plan after preliminary research in reference works and additional text
searches.
7.23) Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of
relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they
gather. Students are expected to:
(A) follow the research plan to gather information from a range of relevant print and
electronic sources using advanced search strategies;
(B) categorize information thematically in order to see the larger constructs inherent in the
information;
(C) record bibliographic information (e.g., author, title, page number) for all notes and
sources according to a standard format; and
(D) differentiate between paraphrasing and plagiarism and identify the importance of citing
valid and reliable sources.
7.24) Research/Synthesizing Information. Students clarify research questions and evaluate and
synthesize collected information. Students are expected to:
(A) narrow or broaden the major research question, if necessary, based on further research
and investigation; and
(B) utilize elements that demonstrate the reliability and validity of the sources used (e.g.,
publication date, coverage, language, point of view) and explain why one source is more
useful than another.
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District
7.25) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their ideas and
information according to the purpose of the research and their audience. Students are expected to
synthesize the research into a written or an oral presentation that:
(A) draws conclusions and summarizes or paraphrases the findings in a systematic way;
(B) marshals evidence to explain the topic and gives relevant reasons for conclusions;
(C) presents the findings in a meaningful format; and
(D) follows accepted formats for integrating quotations and citations into the written text to
maintain a flow of ideas.
7.26) Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students will use comprehension skills to listen
attentively to others in formal and informal settings. Students will continue to apply earlier
standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:
(A) listen to and interpret a speaker's purpose by explaining the content, evaluating the
delivery of the presentation, and asking questions or making comments about the evidence
that supports a speaker's claims;
(B) follow and give complex oral instructions to perform specific tasks, answer questions,
or solve problems; and
(C) draw conclusions about the speaker's message by considering verbal communication
(e.g., word choice, tone) and nonverbal cues (e.g., posture, gestures, facial expressions).
7.28) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in teams.
Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to
participate productively in discussions, plan agendas with clear goals and deadlines, set time limits
for speakers, take notes, and vote on key issues.
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District
7th Grade Reading STAAR ALT
Reporting Categories and Essence Statements
STAAR Reporting Category 1—Understanding and Analysis Across Genres: The student will
demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze a variety of written texts across reading genres.
Essence Statement:
• Identifies new vocabulary words in text using a variety of strategies.
• Identifies authors’ purposes across informational texts.
• Uses a variety of strategies to demonstrate comprehension across genres.
STAAR Reporting Category 2—Understanding and Analysis of Literary Text: The student
will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze literary texts.
Essence Statement:
• Identifies themes in a variety of literary texts.
• Identifies structure and elements of poetry including graphical elements.
• Recognizes how elements of fiction contribute to plot development.
• Recognizes the meaning of figurative and sensory language in literary texts.
• Uses a range of reading skills to make inferences within and across literary texts.
STAAR Reporting Category 3—Understanding and Analysis of Informational Text: The
student will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze informational texts.
Essence Statement:
• Recognizes how organizational patterns impact main idea and details in informational
texts.
• Recognizes the arguments presented in persuasive texts.
• Recognizes the various techniques used in media that impact the meaning in informational
texts.
• Uses a range of reading skills to make inferences within and across informational texts.
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District
7th Grade Writing STAAR ALT
Reporting Categories and Essence Statements
STAAR Reporting Category 1—Composition: The student will demonstrate an ability to
compose a variety of written texts with a clear, controlling idea; coherent organization; sufficient
development; and effective use of language and conventions.
Essence Statements:
• Uses the writing process to develop text.
• Creates an expository text for a specific purpose and audience.
STAAR Reporting Category 2—Revision: The student will demonstrate an ability to revise a
variety of written texts.
Essence Statements:
• Revises text using appropriate word choice.
• Revises an expository text.
•
Revises persuasive text.
STAAR Reporting Category 3—Editing: The student will demonstrate an ability to edit a
variety of texts.
Essence Statements:
• Edits text using correct grammar, mechanics, and spelling.
• Edits text for correct word usage and variance in sentence patterns.
• Edits text for correct capitalization and punctuation.
• Edits spelling using various resources.
Source: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
North East Independent School District